[3759allen]

after peoples opinions on when's the latest i can plant out my main potatoes?

the variety is cara, will be in pretty much full sun all day.

at the moment i have psb in the bed and know they have finally started producing i'm reluctant to scrub them out, but at the same time want a good crop of spuds to store over winter.

[peapod]

I've planted mine at the end of April before now, but didnt mound up as I usually do in case of late frosts. They were fine (Desiree)

[Eblana]

I planted some of mine on the 5th May last year and got a good crop from them but they were Siparo Mira which meant that they were still going strong when others on the site had been forced into cut the foliage off theirs because of blight.

[3759allen]

I've planted mine at the end of April before now, but didnt mound up as I usually do in case of late frosts. They were fine (Desiree)

please forgive a daft question but why did you not mound up, or did you mound them up as the foliage appeared?

i thought you need to mould them up at some regardless.

[3759allen]

I planted some of mine on the 5th May last year and got a good crop from them but they were Siparo Mira which meant that they were still going strong when others on the site had been forced into cut the foliage off theirs because of blight.

my patch is in my back garden so well away from other potato plants, the soil is also well draining which i think both will help with blight.

i'm also in quite a hot part of the country so will get a slightly longer and hotter summer, fingers crossed.

[peapod]

Sorry, yes I usually mound up straight after putting them in - dig a trench, bulb planter them in and then mound up to about a foot.

This time I didnt mound up straight away,  only when the foliage started to show

[caroline800]

A few years ago I got really quite behind   and didn't plant until end of June/beginning of July and still managed to get a reasonable crop (Picasso) 

[Kristen]

probably the wrong answer to the question but I have planted Spuds for Christmas in 1st week of August.

probably rather late for Main Crop (I planted 2nd Earlies), but with enough water I don't see a problem planting into June or even July.

Greater risk of them scumming to Blight later on, and if planted late the young tubers will be small to make an "emergency harvest" if blight were to strike.

[3759allen]

thanks for the replies.

 i'm thinking i will hopefully have the ground available in 2 or 3 weeks, hopefully should be just in time looking at most of the posts.

just keep my fingers crossed for blight.

[pigguns]

Yeah I agree- my PSBs probably got another 2 weeks left in 'em, less if it stays sunny and I can't keep up cutting it back.  I've planted end of July before with catch crop of french beans in between the rows and it ended doubly well.

[3759allen]

agree with psb issue. i've waited ages for them actually produce, now with all this hot dry weather they seem to want to go to seed quicker than i can cut them.